Navigating the world of Influencer Marketing (I)

Influencer, Influencers , Influencer Marketing - some terms which, 5-10 years ago would have made people ask 'what in the world is that?'. But, that's not the case anymore today - quite the contrary, Influencers and Influencer marketing are becoming the norm when it comes to using Social Media tactics to promote your products and your brand.

Therefore, I am happy that I've been attending some Influencer-dedicated Social Media events this September in Bucharest, Romania, and - as you know me - I gathered some insights very much connected to the topic, which I'd like to share with all of you.

I'll start with #DigitalDivas, an event dedicated mostly to women, for women and which exceeded my expectations. Organised by Evensys (under Cristian Manafu 's careful guidance) & Avon Romania , I used to see this event as glamorous only & a place of gathering for the 'best of the best' Social Influencers in Romania. And I was partially right: you do get to meet the Influencers, but not just the glamorous ones, yet a healthy mix of micro, small, medium, etc. ones.

But, more importantly, the event itself turned out to be one where I actually learned new things or verified and cemented ones I already knew. So, in case you want to know more, here are some of the ideas which I took out of conference day:

?? in the beginning of the digital world we witnessed the transition from radio, blogs to Social Media, which meant that 'the print' made many Influencers popular, while the digital domain helped them capitalise from it

?? Social channels are changing: we cannot attach an age to an chanel anymore - like saying TikTok is only for 20 year olds; right now, more and more users are using TikTok every day, and they're not just those who grew up on the platform, but also those who join the platform because of its creativity possibilities

?? what happens is that users are changing the platforms, too -- for instance, on TikTok people are looking, more and more, for 'natural', and Influencers need to adapt to that need and to offer less filters, more honesty

?? good collaborations are all made of having a common ground between the Influencer and the brand; the time when Influencers would 'fake it till you make it' or play with multiple, different brands at the same time are coming to an end

?? video is fast in conquering social platforms, especially through livestreams; and, one such recent conquest is TikTok (live) -- this is the new 'IT' thing that's roaming on social right now, as it creates a sense of deeper bond: as Content Creator you come 'face-to-face' with your followers, you get to know even better your community and you help it grow faster

?? collaborations between Influencers are the future, as this brings multiple opportunities, and also bridges the gap between all types of Influencers, creating reliability

?? what's the preferred channel for most Influencers? globally, it's still Instagram, because it offers them an array of possibilities to be Content Creators at their best

?? Influencers are becoming more and more aware of their power to change things through their creations, which should make them more self-conscious and careful when choosing the brands to collaborate with

?? Influencers inspire and influence people, now more than ever, so they need to exert caution - what they say, what they recommend, what they do, etc. matters, and this gives them a real, big power

?? we can finally talk about the 'job of Content Creator'; nobody can consider this position as a waste of time, not a serious activity or not even a job - it's a job, it's real, and it takes a lot of hardwork (just like other jobs)

?? if you do something with passion, as an Influencer, brands will respect you, they will recognise your power and voice, and they'll want to collaborate with you

?? success for Influencers is now defined as (1) fidelity to a brand, and (2) preferably long-term collaboration with it, as this creates an aura of loyalty and trust, while also reinforcing the products to audiences

?? keys to TikTok success for new people on the platform? discipline, not quitting, bringing something new & fresh.

?? in the end, it's the power and usage of creativity which separates Influencer marketing from others types of marketing

And that's about it, for now ;) I'll continue in another article(s) with more Influencer & Influencer-marketing related insights.

But, until then, enjoy the above ideas and feel free to let me know which shocks you the most and which of the above makes more sense to you ;)